Typography: Best Practices For A Modern-Looking Website

If painters have their brushes and sculptors have their clay, web designers probably have their fonts. Web designers are known to pay close attention to details like custom graphics, icons, menu and clean interfaces. After careful consideration, it would be a sin to disregard something basic as typography.

The good news is that you don’t need to be a master designer to come up with amazing typography for your website. Considering and following these best practices can make your website look modern and amazing.

Simplicity

One of the keys to good typography is simplicity. You don’t want overdo it and fill your site with calligraphy because you want it to be readable.

Yes, they look beautiful but standard font can engage readers’ minds better since most of them are familiar with simple looking fonts.

Match & Pair Fonts

Simple fonts are a good choice for web designers because they are easy to use and do not have a complicated layout.

However, you do need to match other calligraphy fonts and match them in pairs to give them a good mix. Some fonts go well with others so you have to carefully pick them so that they look great together.

There are websites that offer free fonts but you need to confirm that they are indeed free to use; otherwise this would be considered as stealing. You don’t want to use stolen typeface for your site.

Avoid Long Lines

Calligraphic typography looks amazing but they can also be harder to read. Always remember that you want your website to be readable so avoid lengthy lines of texts. The number of characters determines how easily readers can grasp the message.

Short sentences are always easier to read than longer ones. A common typography rule is to restrict the number of characters to around 50-60 per line.

Use Vertical & White Spaces Correctly

The correct usage of white spaces can help boost legibility and visibility. Failure to follow the correct line height can make your website look cluttered and will fail to draw the reader’s interest.

Consider applying the correct line height in between lines of text for better typography,

Use Color Contrast

Color plays a big role in typography. Always make sure that text and background colors contrast to improve visibility and readability.

The Message

The message you wish to relay should go with the font you’re using. How a message is received is interpreted by penmanship or typography by the readers. You can think of the font as the tone of voice when speaking.

You should also consider the occasion. For example, if you want to convey happy thoughts avoid using “scary” looking fonts. The same is true if you want to tell something serious.

All Caps Are A No-No

If typography were a speaking voice, an all-caps message is the equivalent of screaming. You don’t want to scream at your readers or seem imposing so avoid all-caps at all times.

Target Audience

Font and typography should also match the target audience. When choosing typography, always ask yourself who you’re designing for, their age group and their likes and dislikes.

Understanding the end user and taking their needs and consideration into your design can help you chose the right font which will make conveying your message easier.

How do you choose typography for your website? Do you have more tips and advice? Tell us by leaving your comments below.